Refrigerator shelf



23, 1949' c. H. NAUERT 2,479,858

REFRIGERATOR SHELF Filed Sept. 1, 1945 if 5 f8 76 igif 5; 2

ATTORNEY Patented Aug. 23, 1949 REFRIGERATOR SHELF Carl H. Nauert, Evansville, Ind., asslgnor to Serve], Inc., New York, N. Y., a corporation of Delaware Application September 1, 1945, Serial No. 614,062

1 Claim. (Cl. 211-143) My invention relates to improvements in shelves for domestic refrigerator cabinets, especially to that type of shelf which is slidably supported at the sides of the cabinet.

The object of my invention is to provide an improved construction and arrangement of elements which prevents the accidental removal of the shelf from the cabinet; prevents the abrasive scratches and dents formed upon the rear wall of the cabinet by the shelf when it is returned to its position within the cabinet; permits the shelf to be partially removed from the cabinet so as to allow easy access to any object resting upon it; and secures all of the above results by a simple and compact means adapted for economical manufacture.

The above and other objects of my invention are attained by adding to the usual shelf struc ture a combination shelf stop and bumper as illustrated in the following description taken in conjunction with the drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a perspective of a refrigerator of th household type having shelves embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional view of part of the cabinet illustrating one of the shelves in Fig. 1 in top plan;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional view taken along line 33 of Fig. 2, showing the stop in position to prevent the removal of the shelf from the cabinet; and,

Fig. 4 is a view similar to that of Fig. 3 showing the stop adjusted to permit the removal of the shelf from the cabinet. 1 v

A household refrigerator-' cabinet "generally illustrated at I0 has therein a food compartment II which is bounded by a liner 12. At-. tached to both sides of the liner 12 in any suitable manner are a plurality of shelf supports l3, having adjusting notches l4 within which rest the shelf assemblies l5. Each of the shelf assemblies comprises a main frame "5 which is spanned by a plurality of bars H, the bars I! being rigidly attached to the main frame IS in any suitable manner. A back guard rail I8 is rigidly secured to the shelf assembly l5 by members l9. Integrally formed upon the back guard rail l8 are bosses 20.

In accordance with the present invention, combination shelf stop and bumper devices 22 are mounted adjacent each end of the rail and each has a slot 25 adapted to receive one of the bosses 20'. A screw 2| is provided to secure the shelf stop and bumper 22 to the boss 20 by threaded formed upon that end of item 22 which 15 secured to the boss is a rounded knob 23 (Fig. 2) which is directed toward the rear of the cabinet III. This knob acts as a bumper to prevent the rear of the shelf assembly I5 from scratching the liner l2. The unslotted or solid portion 24 of item 22 acts as a stop to prevent the accidental removal of the shelf from the'cabinet as will be explained below.

When it is desired to place the shelf into the cabinet, the combination shelf stop and bumper 22 is adjusted as shown in Fig. 4 and the side edges of the main frame l6 are slid into the desired notches ll of the shelf supports I3. Any opposing pairs of notches may be chosen thus enabling the height of the shelf to be adjusted. When the shelf is positioned within the cabinet, the combination stop and bumper 22 is turned so as to assume the position shown in Fig. 3. In this position the solid portion 24 projects laterally so as to contact shelf support [3 when the shelf is pulled out of the cabinet. Thus the forward movement of the shelf ill will be arrested by the abutment of item 24 against the shelf support I 3. It will be understood that the rearmost shelf support l3 will be placed in such a location as to permit the partial removal of the shelf I5 so that easy access may be gained to those objects resting upon the back portion of the shelf. When the shelf is slid back into its position within the cabinet, the bumper or engagement either with the boss or with the knob 23 will prevent the scratching of the rear portion of the liner H! by the shelf assembly.

When it is desired to remove the shelf from the cabinet, the combination stop and bumper 22 is merely turned to assume the position shown in Fig. 4 thus preventing any contact between portion .24 and shelf support l3.

While I have shown my combination shelf stop and bumper 22 as being mounted upon the rear guard rail l8, it may very easily, and with the same results, be mounted upon a rear portion of the shelf assembly l5.

Only one form of the invention has been illustrated and described in detail and it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various other modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the following claim.

What is claimed is:

The combination of a refrigerator cabinet having side, 'rear, top and bottom walls, notched shelf supports positioned upon opposing side walls of the cabinet, a. shelf adapted to rest in the notches of the shelf supports for movement relative thereto, a rear guard rail mounted upon the shelf, an integral shelf stop and bumper mechanism, and means adjustably mounting said shelf stop and bumper mechanism on the rear guard rail in such manner that the stop portion thereof contacts at least one of said supports when the shelf is moved forward of the cabinet, thereby preventing accidental removal of the shelf from the cabinet, and in such a' manner that the bumper portion of said' mechanism always contacts the rear wall of the cabinet when the shelf is moved to its rearmost position within the cabinet.

CARL H. NAUERT.

4 nmmmcss CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patentt UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,600,699 Parke Sept. 21, 1926 1,851,192 Lange Mar. 29, 1932 2,090,353 Hokanson Aug. 1'7, 937 2,130,279 Knight Sept. 13, 1938 2,223,947 Blood et a1. Dec. 3, 1940 2,287,611 Harbison June 23, 1942 2,299,512 Swedman et al Oct. 20, 1942 

